Keyboard



KEYBOAD J. M. LOBIT Filed Aug. 21,' 1924 25 ,mwmllmmlllmwwmmmmm JIMI sept. e, 192,7.

y /N VEN TOR Jean Mar//b/ Lob/Z ATTORAEYS.

Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

' muren stares tense JEAN MARTIAL Loisir, or BROOKLYN, :anw YORK.

KEYBOARD.

i Application led August 21, 1924. Serial No. 733,260.

This invention relates Ato key-boards. More specifically it relates to key-boards particularly adapted to be employed in conibination with or as a part of assembling .mechanisms of slug-casting machines such as the linotype, yintertype, etc., although it may be employed to advantage in other machines.

One of theobjects of the present invention is to provide a novel construction of key-board. y

' Another object isto provide a key-board in which no power'is employed and. prefere ably, in whichY no springs are employed.

A further object is to provide a key-board in which any selected one` of the key-levers and connected parts may be removed from the key-board without removingthe remainingkey-levers.

Y A still further object is to provide a lreyboard which is comparatively simple in conf struction but reliable in operation, and durable. Other. objects and advantages will appear as the invention is hereinafter disclosed. r

Referring to the drawings which illust-rate what I now consider a preferred form of my 'invention,

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of the 30 key-board; v

` Fig. 2 is a pla-n view,ipartly in section and partly broken away, of the key-board shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail plan view, partly in section, of certain of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2;V y

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional elevation of certain of the parts shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the key-board comprises a plurality of keys 10, each provided with ar corresponding` one of aplui'ality of key-levers 11. Each key-lever 11 is mounted for pivotal .movement about a rod 12, detachably secured at each Yend to the frame 13 of the. key-beard,

'as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. I preferto employ the following structure for pivotally connecting' the lreylevers 11 to the rod'12.

Slidably mounted upon the rod 12 are a plurality of bushings or sleeves 14, there be- -ing as many of these as there are key-levers 11, there being one for each key-lever Each of the sleeves 14 comprises a hub portion and a' flange portion. Each .of the'key-leversll circular but not in lthe formv of a; complete or closed circle as it terminatesv at; the shoulder portions 16, 17 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 4). The Vdiameter `of each of the circular openings 15 is substantially the same as the= external diameter of the hub portion of each of the sleeves 14, there being sufiicient clear- `is provided with an opening 15 whicli,-.is f

ance so thateach key-lever 11, may rotate or y and there is no `space between the sleeve members V14, each of the key-levers .11.is'` pivotally 'movable about the hub portion of its corresponding sleeve 14 and isv spaced from adjacent ,key-levers 11 bythe flanges of the sleeves 14. In this assembled positionof parts, the key-levers 11 are individually pivotallymovable about the aXis of the rod 12 but cannot be removed therefrom because. as stated above` the distance between the shoulders 16-17 is less than-the external diameter of the hub portions of the sleeves 14. If it be desired to remove any Vlreyslever 11 from the rod 12, i.-'e. from the lzeyeboard, this may be effected `by sliding the sleeve 14 upon which that particular key-lever 11 is mounted away from the adjacent sleeve 14 shown in Fig. The

`particular key-lever 11 may then be slid off the hub of itssleeve 14 (asishown in Fig.' 3) and then removed from the-rod 12,

because, as stated above` the distance bei tween the shoulders 167-17 is greater than the external diameter of the rod 12 to permit of this detachment.'

` The lrey-leversll and associated parts are held in assembled relationship (Fig. 2) by" means of tw'o sleeves 20, slidably mounted on the rod 12 adjacent the opposite ends thereof and adapted to be engaged by nuts21 which screwethreadedly engage the rod 1.2. .By proper manipulation lof the nuts 21 on the lployed in the assembling mechanism of machines such as the linotype, intertype, etc. Among other advantages, it will be vnoted that no springs or power mechanism a-re employed in my key-board, the structure is simple,rand each and any of the Fig. 1)

key-levers 11 may be removed from the rod 12 and the key-board for repair or replacement, without removing any of the other Vkey-levers 11. The key board may also be employed lin a machine such as that illustrated in my copending United States application Serial No. 582,593, filed August 18, 1922, and entitled Assembling machines, or as illustrated in my Canadian application Serial No. 290,554, filed June 9,1924, entitled Assembling machines. When employed with the last mentioned machines, each Akey lever 11 is pivotally Vconnected at its rear end to a corresponding `one of bars 25 each adapted at its-upper end (not shown) to engage and operate a corresponding one of a number of matrix releasing pawls of a magazine positioned over the delivery channels (not shown). In short, the key-board forming the subject matter of the present application may (as Vindiicated in my said Canadian application) be substituted for the main key-board shown in my said copending United States application Serial No. 582,593. Preferably the upper end of each bar 25 is detachable from its supporting structure (not shown) so that each key-lever 11 and its bar 25 are removable as a unit. However, if desired, each key-lever 11 may be made detachable from its corresponding bar 25.

' Upon depression and subsequent release of any key 10, it is'automatically restored to its original elevated position by gravity, the weight of that portion of each keylever 11 to the right of the rod 12 (in and its bar 25 being greater than the weight of the key 10 and that portion of the key-lever to the left of the rod 12. No springs are required, nor is any'power mechanism required, in connection with my key-board which is a departure from the key-boards of assembling mechanisms heretofore utilized in practice.

The keys 10 may be provided with the usual indicia,each corresponding to the matriX which is released by that particular key.

`In accordance with the provisions of the Vpatent statutes, I have herein described the principle vof operation of my invention, to-

gether with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best. embodiments thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus disclosed is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. designed to use the various features and elements in the combinations and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. A key-board comprising in combination, a,k plurality of key levers, means pivotally supporting said key levers, and means mounted on said means whereby each of said key levers may be removed from the key-board without. releasing the other key levers.

2. An assembling mechanism for slugcasting machines comprising in combination, a key-board having individually removable and operable keys, individually operable means for positively maintaining said keys in pivotal relation, and connec- Also, while it is tions adapted to release matrices corre-- spending to Jthe particular key or keys operated, and gravity means .for causing each key to resume normal position after it has been operated.

3. In an assembling mechanism for slugupon said shaft and engaging openings in i said key levers whereby the aXis of said shaft defines the pivotal loci of said key levers.

5. A key-board comprising, in combination, a shaft, a plurality of sleeves mounted on said shaft, a plurality of key levers, each of said key levers having an opening therein with shoulder port-ions engaging one of said sleeves whereby disengagement of a key lever and a sleeve in a direction other than longitudinally of said shaft is prevented.

6. A key-board, comprising, in combination, a shaft, a plurality of sleeves mounted onsaid shaft, a plurality of key levers, each of said key levers having an opening for engaging said sleeves, said'openings having mouths of less width than the diameters ofv said sleeves, means to space adjacent key levers, and means -to maintain said sleeves in contacting relation.

7. A key-board comprising, in combinakey levers may be disengaged from its sleeve tion, a shaft, a plurality of sleeves mounted and removed from the key-board Without upon said shaft, key levers having openings removing any other key lever. 10 for engaging said sleeves, means for main- In testimony whereof I hereto alix my 5 taining said sleeves in contacting relation signature.

and for permitting any one of said sleeves to be displaced whereby any one of said I JEAN MARTIAL LOBIT. 

